Computerized health behavior reward system and method

Abstract

A computerized health behavior reward system and method is disclosed. Engagement of rewards program members is based on rewards for participation in a variety of health activities. Health activities are recommended to members based on demographic and health profile information and include general health activities such as participation in fitness programs as well as disease management and clinical programs, educational campaigns, online, interactive, and social networking activities, and community based activities. Each activity may relate to a particular participation event so that members are rewarded for enrolling in a program as well as for ongoing participation. Members earn points for each health activity in which they participate. The points are accumulated in a rewards account accessible from a web site portal and can be redeemed. The computerized system and method provides flexibility to allow a reward program sponsor to respond to different needs of the rewards program population at the consumer level.

1 . A computerized method for rewarding health behaviors comprising:
 (a) storing in a computer health activity data comprising for each of a plurality of health activities:
 (1) identifying data for said health activity; and 
 (2) participation criteria for said health activity; 
   (b) receiving from a plurality of members of a member population response data to an opt-in request for a rewards program, said response data comprising:
 (1) an agreement to participate in said rewards program; and 
 (2) an agreement to receive communications related to said rewards program; 
   (c) executing at said computer a segmentation process which defines a segment of members from said plurality of members to target and which requests participation in at least one of said health activities, said segment comprising members identified according to:
 (1) member health claim data; and 
 (2) participation criteria for said least one of said health activities; 
   (d) receiving at said computer a communication to be transmitted to each member in said segment said communication comprising:
 (1) an offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities; and 
 (2) a reward for participating in said at least one of said health activities; 
   (e) using member identifying data for each member, transmitting said communication to each member in said segment;   (f) receiving at said computer responses from members of said segment accepting said offer in said communication to participate in said least one of said health activities;   (g) updating at said computer a reward account for each member in said segment accepting said offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities with said reward for said at least one of said health activities; and   (h) providing a web site reward account portal configured with interface elements which enable each member in said segment to access said reward account and view details of said reward.   
     
     
         2 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities are selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) general health activities appropriate for all members; and 
 (2) specialized health activities for members with specified health conditions. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise an educational campaign informing members about a health condition. 
     
     
         4 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise a health-related tool at said web site. 
     
     
         5 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise a health risk assessment. 
     
     
         6 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein receiving at said computer responses from said members in said segment comprises receiving responses through said reward account portal for said members. 
     
     
         7 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein receiving at said computer responses from said members in said segment comprises receiving at least one response through a computerized enrollment process completed for the member by a third party. 
     
     
         8 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise clinical health activities, fitness health activities, lifestyle health activities, social media health activities, partnership health activities, profile health activities, and transparency tool activities. 
     
     
         9 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of health activities are selected from the group consisting of:
 enrollment activities; and 
 engagement activities. 
 
     
     
         10 . The computerized health behavior reward system comprising:
 (a) a database storing
 (1) health activity data for a plurality of health activities comprising for each health activity:
 (A) identifying data for said health activity; and 
 (B) participation criteria for said health activity; 
 
 (2) reward accounts for members of a rewards program; 
   (b) a computer in communication with said database executing instructions to:
 (1) execute a segmentation process to define a segmented group of members from a member population to target and to request participation in at least one of said health activities, said segmented group comprising members identified according to:
 (A) member health claim data; and 
 (B) participation criteria for said least one of said health activities; 
 
 (2) receive for transmission to each member in said segmented group a communication comprising:
 (A) an offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities; and 
 (B) a reward for participating in said at least one of said health activities; 
 
 (3) use member identifying data for each member to transmit said communication to each member in said segmented group; 
 (4) receive responses from said members in said segmented group accepting said offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities; 
 (5) update said reward accounts in said database for members in said segmented group accepting said offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities with said reward; and 
 (6) provide a web site reward account portal configured with interface elements which enable each member of said segmented group to access said reward account and view details of said offer to participate. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities are selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) general health activities appropriate for all members; and 
 (2) specialized health activities for members with specified health conditions. 
 
     
     
         12 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise an educational campaign informing members about a health condition. 
     
     
         13 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise a health-related tool at said web site. 
     
     
         14 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise a health risk assessment. 
     
     
         15 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said instruction to receive at said computer responses from said members in said segmented group comprises receiving responses through said reward account portal for said members. 
     
     
         16 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said instruction to receive at said computer responses from said members in said segmented group comprises receiving at least one response through a computerized enrollment process completed for the member by a third party. 
     
     
         17 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities comprise clinical health activities, fitness health activities, lifestyle health activities, social media health activities, partnership health activities, profile health activities, and transparency tool activities. 
     
     
         18 . The computerized system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of health activities are selected from the group consisting of: 
       enrollment activities; and 
       engagement activities. 
     
     
         19 . The computerized method for rewarding health behaviors comprising:
 (a) storing in a computer health activity data comprising for each of a plurality of health activities:
 (1) identifying data for said health activity; 
 (2) participation criteria for said health activity; 
   (b) executing at said computer a segmentation process to define a segment of members from a member population to target for participation in at least one of said health activities, said segment comprising members identified according to:
 (1) member health claim data; and 
 (2) participation criteria for said at least one of said health activities; 
   (c) generating at said computer an offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities, said offer comprising a participation reward;   (d) using member identifying data for each member, transmitting to each member in said segment said offer to participate;   (e) receiving at said computer responses from members in said segment accepting said offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities;   (f) updating at said computer a reward account for each member in said segment accepting said offer to participate in said at least one of said health activities with said participation reward for said at least one of said health activities; and   (g) providing a web site reward account portal configured with interface elements which enable each member of said segment to access said reward account and view details of said participation reward.   
     
     
         20 . The computerized method of  claim 19  wherein said plurality of health activities are selected from the group consisting of:
 enrollment activities; and 
 engagement activities.